


Cold Hands

by BugTongue



Series: Chroleopika Week 2021 [2]
Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Bad Weather, ChroLeoPika Week, Established Relationship, Huddling For Warmth, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:14:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29509551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BugTongue/pseuds/BugTongue
Summary: Day 2: Camping/RoadtripThe car breaks down before they arrive, but well after they leave the city. As should be expected, really.
Relationships: Kurapika/Kuroro Lucifer | Chrollo Lucifer/Leorio Paladiknight
Series: Chroleopika Week 2021 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2171028
Comments: 6
Kudos: 5
Collections: CLK Week '21





	Cold Hands

**Author's Note:**

> I had snow planned before the vortex I fucking swear...

Chrollo had always seemed to run a bit cooler than average, tapping out around 96 degrees Fahrenheit, while Kurapika always seemed to be running a low grade fever. It figured somehow, in Leorio’s mind, that he would be stuck in the snow and the cold with the one least likely to keep him warm. Doe eyes in the dark as Chrollo smiled at him, tucked in close enough Leorio felt his thoughts had been unfair. He was not cold.

“Don’t think I have the constitution to walk back to town?”

“Not so sure you wouldn’t think it’d be funny to leave us here, actually.” Leorio squinted at the drooping ceiling of his car as Chrollo nuzzled in under his jaw, then nearly screamed as ice cold fingers curled into his armpits. The bundle of man and ratty black clothes shook with mirth, but of course he didn’t remove his horrible little hands. Leorio’s tormentor. He anchored his arms tighter around the man and squeezed hard until the laughter turned breathless, and only when the hands wrapped around his back under the jacket did he let up at all. “Jesus you’re a dick, this is why you’re stuck here with me.”

“Mmmh, my protector, right? Can’t let me walk back to town or I may leave you to die, can’t walk in yourself or saint Michael might send me to hell. The chicken, the fox, and the grain.” He took a deep breath in as he hid his face in the warm stubble of Leorio’s throat, and it was difficult to remove the image from his mind of those nicotine stained teeth.

“He’s just a guy, y’know. Talking about him like that is part of why he hates you so much.”

“He hates me for larger sins than this.” Chrollo sighed and settled in like a chick in the feathers of its mother. Brooding--Leorio would take the title if only in his own mind. “It’s a shame we didn’t make it to the campgrounds, I was looking forward to using the Sterno.”

“You bought a Sterno?”

“No.”

“...” Leorio’s mouth twisted but he refrained from commenting on the crimes of a guy who never carried cash. Of course he didn’t buy a Sterno. “You should get some hobbies that aren’t like, cooking meth and stalking Kurapika.”

“I have other hobbies, I like to read. In fact, I recently read a story that reminds me of where we are now. Trapped in the snow, needing to get undressed for warmth. It was inspiring.” Two semi-cool hands moved down to the hem of his layered shirts, then pushed up between them and his skin in a way that left an unpleasant window to the elements. “How would you know if I was stalking Kurapika?”

“You keep stealing his shit, you know that’s fucking cold right?” His grousing was met with a lack of sympathy he was beginning to think he sought out in his partners.

\---

Kurapika opened the door with a show of force that woke the two men from a nap, startling Leorio enough he nearly missed the sharp, blank fear in Chrollo’s eyes that melted with the onset of reality. “Hey, what, I thought you were gonna come back with help-”

“S-s-coot.” He shut the door as he crawled in with his slush-muddied boots, stripping the outer jacket off so he wouldn't completely soak the other two as he shoved himself between them for warmth. “F-fucking-g closed.”

“The gas station?” Kurapika nodded in jerking motions that knocked his skull into one chin, then the other. “Okay, stop moving already.”

The snow had started falling again sometime after Leorio and Chrollo had fallen asleep and from the dampness of Kurapika’s hair, soaked through to the roots, that wasn’t such a short time at all. Wind blew in a low whistle outside that quickly grew in pitch, gently rocking the car in small bursts as it changed direction and intensity to the whims of Father Winter. As the noise grew, Kurapika warmed enough to first kick his shoes off, and then wiggle out of his muddy jeans until he was perfectly curled up and tucked between his companions.

Leorio shivered, then sighed. “Hold on, move over for a moment would ya?” He nudged the other two until they budged, then braced himself before yanking the seat down so he could drag one of the sleeping bags out of the trunk. He could not shove the seat back into place fast enough and they mourned the loss of heat together as he unrolled what was essentially a nylon and flannel quilt. He wrapped it around the three of their shivering bodies and settled in to wait for their natural body heat to catch up.

With their living space heater back, the warmth returned in no time at all.

\---

The wet crunch of a truck pulling up beside them on the shoulder woke Leorio, but it was the attached door slamming shut as they were approached that woke Chrollo, who gripped Kurapika tight enough to make the other hiss as he too was dragged sniffling into awareness. Leorio left them bundled together to figure themselves out as he let himself out into the frozen still air.

“You kids need a tow?” The girl addressing him could not be any older than sixteen, wearing enough layers of pink and white velvet he wasn’t sure where her body ended and her clothes began. He popped his brow, no one besides his professors called him a kid anymore anyway.

“Yeah, name’s Leorio though, and who are you calling kid?”

The girl laughed brightly and put a hand on her hip. “Well then, geezer, get in position and make sure I don’t crunch your Chevy.” He huffed, but he did bring this upon himself.

As he so often did.

The car hitched to her trailer, then carried Kurapika into the back cabin while Chrollo climbed into the front passenger with measured intrigue. The bite mark on his neck nearly flew under Leorio’s radar, but their blessed helper, Bisky, gave them possibly the stupidest smirk he’d ever seen. But… The truck had working heat, enough gas to get into the city proper, and if the price to pay for that was getting teased by a little girl for being obnoxious to each other then so be it. Gift horses, mouths.


End file.
